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"How did you get in here? I locked the doors." She was proud of her voice. It was even and sounded almost calm.
"I know, I unlocked them," he answered. He stepped close enough to her that she was able to see his blond, blue-eyed reflection in the port she looked out of. "I wanted to know where you were and Andromeda told me that you had engaged privacy mode. That's not like you. I wanted to make sure you were all right."
"I'm fine." Leave me alone, she added mentally.
"I'm not leaving. Please Beka, tell me what happened. Why are you so upset?"
"It's a long story. You wouldn't want to hear it."
"How dare you make assumptions about me. You offered to hear my story after the incident with the Hajira and it's about time that I returned the favor." There was a pause as he waited for her to reply. When she didn't, he took a leap and voiced his suspicion. "You fell for him, didn't you?"
Now Beka's voice started to lose its cool. "Yes. I was prepared to help take the blame off of him and maybe even get him to join us in this quest to restore the Commonwealth but--"
"But he betrayed you," Dylan finished. Beka's smothered sob was the only response he got.
"I don't know why I'm doing this. Usually, I don't cry in front of people."
"Maybe it's because you realize that we're in the same boat now, so to speak. We've both been betrayed and we've both lost somebody we loved because of it."
"But Sara wasn't the one who betrayed you." She stifled another sob but it was too late to escape Dylan's hearing.
"Beka..." He didn't need to say anything else, just the sound of her name coming from him was a soothing balm to her soul. She turned around and let him see that her eyes were red and swollen. He quickly came closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. Neither said a word, just content with the physical and emotional comfort of being held by somebody.
"We'll get through this together, just like with..." He paused, reluctant to bring up that part of Beka's past. "Just like we got through your addiction to Flash. You'll be all right. Take it from an old geezer who's had some experience in this sort of thing."
Beka smiled and turned her head up to look into Dylan's eyes. She kissed him gently on the lips and returned to her former place, resting her head against his chest and listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat. "You're not an old geezer. You're only 342 years old."
"That makes me feel a lot better," he chuckled, still a little shocked from the surprise kiss.
"If you want something to make you feel better, how's this? You're better looking and you're in damn better condition than any other 340 year old man that I've ever seen."
"You know, I'll remember this on your next birthday."
"Go ahead. I dare you."
Harper's voice suddenly came from Dylan's communicator. "You two are talking an awful lot for two people who are supposed to be sharing some time alone."
"Harper, were you spying on us?" Beka took a step back in time to see the blush rise on Dylan's face, her earlier troubles forgotten for the moment.
"Actually, Dylan forgot to shut off his communicator when he went into the room. I started to contact him and heard just about the entire conversation."
"Harper-" Dylan began.
"I know, I know. If I breathe a word of this to anybody, I'll be killed in a subtle but not very nice manner."
Dylan smiled. "Okay, then. Now that we've got that straight, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"
There was a pause from the voice on the other end of the communication. "Actually, I don't remember now. It probably wasn't important if I don't remember. I mean--"
"Harper?" Beka interrupted. "Get to bed."
"Is that a come on?"
"Harper."
"Yes ma'am."
The communication ended and Dylan rolled his eyes. "I don't know what we're going to do with him."
"Think about it in the morning." Dylan nodded and started to leave, but a hand on his arm forced him to turn back around. "Good night Dylan."
Dylan's smile was bright as he answered, "Good night Beka. If you need me, you know where I am." He squeezed the hand on his arm affectionately as she smiled in return. Turning, he left her for the night.
This time, when Beka looked out the window at the starscape, she wore a smile on her face. She didn't need Leydon. Right here was somebody who would never leave her or betray her. Now her future seemed impossibly brighter from what it had been mere moments before. Her stay in the observation deck was only a few minutes longer before she followed Dylan's example and left for her own quarters.
The End